diff --git a/inventory_provider/routes/classifier.py b/inventory_provider/routes/classifier.py
index 2d082836fe228796fe2cd7d1d19e02687b79b13b..a9e5e21173e2ff2d3351d8efcfb317626189c46c 100644
--- a/inventory_provider/routes/classifier.py
+++ b/inventory_provider/routes/classifier.py
@@ -33,35 +33,24 @@ def _remove_duplicates_from_list(all):
     return list(tmp_dict.values())
 
 
-def _location_from_router(router_name):
+def _locations_from_router(router_name):
     r = common.get_current_redis()
     result = r.get(f'opsdb:location:{router_name}')
     if not result:
         logger.error(f'error looking up location for {router_name}')
-        return {
-            'a': _LOCATION(
-                equipment=router_name,
-                name='?',
-                abbreviation='?')
-        }
+        return []
 
     result = json.loads(result.decode('utf-8'))
     if not result:
         logger.error(f'sanity failure: empty list for location {router_name}')
-        return None
-        return {
-            'a': _LOCATION(
-                equipment=router_name,
-                name='?',
-                abbreviation='?')
-        }
+        return []
 
-    return {
+    return [{
         'a': _LOCATION(
             equipment=result[0]['equipment-name'],
             name=result[0]['pop']['name'],
             abbreviation=result[0]['pop']['abbreviation'])
-    }
+    }]
 
 
 def _location_from_service_dict(s):
@@ -217,7 +206,7 @@ def get_juniper_link_info(source_equipment, interface):
             result['related-services'] = top_level_services
 
         if not result['locations']:
-            result['locations'] = [_location_from_router(source_equipment)]
+            result['locations'] = _locations_from_router(source_equipment)
 
         result['locations'] = _remove_duplicates_from_list(result['locations'])
         result = json.dumps(result)
@@ -351,16 +340,14 @@ def peer_info(address):
             info = info.decode('utf-8')
             info = json.loads(info)
             result['ix-public-peer-info'] = ix_peering_info(info)
-            router_location = _location_from_router(info['router'])
-            result['locations'] += [router_location]
+            result['locations'] += _locations_from_router(info['router'])
 
         info = r.get('vpn_rr_peer:%s' % address)
         if info:
             info = info.decode('utf-8')
             info = json.loads(info)
             result['vpn-rr-peer-info'] = info
-            router_location = _location_from_router(info['router'])
-            result['locations'] += [router_location]
+            result['locations'] += _locations_from_router(info['router'])
 
         interfaces = list(find_interfaces_and_services(address))
         if interfaces:
diff --git a/test/test_classifier_routes.py b/test/test_classifier_routes.py
index a255809613f447d655485f02c1efaca3cb8f0d25..5de175c93a72f52874f8403048dc1cf5707dedad 100644
--- a/test/test_classifier_routes.py
+++ b/test/test_classifier_routes.py
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ LOCATIONS_DEFINITIONS = {
     },
     "locations-list": {
         "type": "array",
-        "items": {"$ref": "#/definitions/location"},
-        "minitems": 1
+        "items": {"$ref": "#/definitions/location"}
     }
 }
 
@@ -235,12 +234,7 @@ def test_juniper_link_unknown_router(client):
             'bundle': [],
             'bundle_members': []
         },
-        'locations': [{
-            'a': {
-                'equipment': 'unknown-router',
-                'name': '?',
-                'abbreviation': '?'}
-        }]
+        'locations': []
     }